But strangely, Kathys parents always stuck by their former son-in-law. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Susan met Kenneth Smith in 1977 when she was just 15 and he was 22. While visiting Pikeville to wrap up a case, Putnam took Smith on a drive to Peter Creek Mountain one night. He claims he told her he would get a paternity test once the baby was born, and that he and Kathy would adopt the child. The pair would meet two to three times every week, and Smith quickly told Putnam she believed Lockhart was planning another heist because she discovered a duffel bag with two sawed-off shotguns and ski masks in their home, Sharkey writes. In "Above Suspicion," Joe Sharkey writes that before long, Mark amassed a network of informants and started thinking of himself as a "streetwise crime-fighter who was living the life that he had always dreamed about." When Putnam arrived in 1987, Lockhart was being released from prison after serving seven years out of his 18-year sentence. What would you do if someones trying to snatch your weapon away from you? Truly sick and sad on so many levels.. to excuse this behavior for any reason is exactly why this world is crashing so hard and fast now. In 1990, the investigation into Smith's death became an FBI matter, as Putnam was under suspicion for her disappearance. And this wasn't murder in the line of dutythis was a crime of passion. My father was a deputy in Pikeville during this time. Claims self defense, but who doesnt. The New York Post reports that Putnam instead stated that after getting a paternity test, he and his wife would adopt the child. She prayed for a Prince Charming to come to her rescue, and when good-looking. . At the end of the day, Smith and Putnam are the only ones who truly know how long the affair lasted, and it's impossible to know which one of them was telling the truth. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Is Susan had not threatened him or lied about the baby perhaps the story would have turned out differently. . Connecticut native Putnam was 27 years old and just out of the FBI Academy when he found himself stationed in Pikeville, Kentucky, a small Appalachian town three hours from Lexington with a practically unsupervised two-agent outpost. He used Ms. Smith as an informant in a bank robbery and car theft case. He now reportedly works as a physical trainer and has remarried. "Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty To Slaying Kentucky Woman", "$5,000 in 1987 2017 | Inflation Calculator", "Victim's Sister Haunted by Slaying a Year After FBI Agent Confessed: Crime: Susan Smith's family, believing her death was motivated by more than an unwanted pregnancy, is pursuing further investigation", "Former Kentucky FBI agent relives notorious case as movie consultant", "Susan Daniels Smith, Mark Putnam: FBI, 'Above Suspicion' Pikeville Killer Today", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Susan_Smith&oldid=1151691126, Deaths by strangulation in the United States, Federal Bureau of Investigation misconduct, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents convicted of crimes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, first FBI agent to be convicted for murder, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 16:35. Susan Smith Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her? Erin is right. They were in love, she said, and she was pregnant with his child. The strange situation became more unhealthy and desperate. I saw an interview he did with Oprah in the late 80s or early 90s he was very candid and straightforward. Eastern Kentucky is about as far from the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas and Hollywood as you can get. A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. The movie does say she wasnt pregnant. Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man." And by early 1989, Mark started to pull away from Smith and stopped using her as an informant. Sometimes you get the good people who believe in real justice, and sometimes you do get them racist tyrants. Sheriffs deputy Bert Hatfield suggested to his friend, Susan, that she could earn extra money by becoming an informant. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). If they admit to having an affair with the first wife, Id cross him off. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Mark Putnam, who had a wife and children, lived his life as a happy family man but was steaming up the sheets with Sue Smith in hotels whenever he had the chance. I hope someone in prison tried to rape his a**. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. The prosecutor, assistant prosecutor, FBI management and every law enforcement officer in the case knew that was true. He was 22 at the time, she was 15. And there are plenty of people of all colors who get out of jail early for good behavior. Three days later, Smith was reported missing by her sister, Shelby Ward. All rights reserved. We've received your submission. I read all the comments and found it entertaining, but if you watched the movie or read the book you would know why he got 18 years. Putnam claims the pair made love five times over a two-week period, just in that vehicle, and then he called the relationship quits. This is how the unlikely coupling of Mark and Susan started. Harris said she remembers the events unfolding and her husband, a former Kentucky State Police Post 9 dispatcher, shared some of his experiences with her. Meet the Smiths by Best of SWLA Susan Daniels Smith: 'Betrayed' Mark Putnam, FBI Killer Of Pregnant Informant Found Dead In Pikeville, Kentucky, Subject Of New Crime Series On ID by Inquisitr Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty To Slaying Kentucky Woman by AP News Former FBI agent from Coventry due for release from prison by Journal Inquirer Susan Daniels Smith, aka Sue Smith, the Pikeville, Kentucky, informant who was killed by her married lover, FBI Agent Mark Putnam, will have her story discussed again for the first time in many years on Betrayed, the new Investigation Discovery crime series. There are various accounts as to whether he approached her first or she approached him first. The partners approached Lockharts best friend, Kenneth Smith, and his 25-year-old ex-wife Susan Smith. Copyright 2021 WYMT. Susan Daniels Smith was born in 1961 in Matewan, West Virginia, to Sidney "Sid" Daniels, an unemployed and former coal miner, and Tracy Daniels,[1] a housekeeper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0DZ0UtgTu0. He subsequently confessed, pleaded guilty to strangling Smith,[4] and told authorities where to find her body. Shown here is Mark Putnamthe first FBI agent in history to be convicted of a homicide. In his later confession, Putnam claimed they only had quickies in his car. She said she was also questioned, having been working at the former movie theater in town, which she said Putnam used as an alibi. The marijuana would have had a street value of $2.27 million, officials said. When her body was finally found, Mark Putnam confessed to killing her, reported the LA Times. He has told his story but she is not here to tell hers so we will never truly know what happened on the day of her death but one thing is certain, 10yrs was too short a time compared to the sentence being served to people of color for the same crime. FBI Special Killer Agent | Mark Putnam / Susan Daniels Smith Case Analysis Dr. Todd Grande 1.27M subscribers 149K views 11 months ago This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case. Hes doing OK, considering.. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. We all know OJ did it! All this talk about his skin color determining the amount of time he had to serve is absurd! Susan Smith's Drug Use, Sex with Guards Explored on 'Cellmate - People Movie crew scouting central Kentucky for locations - WLKY Absolutely no consequences for that action. And according to "The FBI Encyclopedia," she hated their new location and "soon began demanding that he seek a transfer." I dont care if they have a record or not. Susan began calling Putnams home constantly, and his wife Kathy would pick up the phone and play the role of therapist for hours on end. Putnam had returned to Pikeville for several days to work a car theft case he had investigated. They had wanted him to stand trial for murder. Ya know the criminal justice system is messed up when someone does just 10 years for murder. Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961[3] June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. She dropped out of school in 7th grade because of financial problems within her family. According to Monsters & Critics, Putnam later claimed that "he snapped because Susan was threatening to tell his wife about the affair.". I believe he behaved while in prison, thats why he only served 10 years, not because hes white. At that time, Putnam strangled and killed Smith and placed her body in the trunk of his car. And after $18,000 in cash was stolen from a bank in Kentucky, Mark set his sights on the suspect, Carl Edwards "Cats Eyes" Lockhart, The New York Post writes. The case received nationwide attention. Watching the movie it does seem like manslaughter, and if that was correct then 16 years is an appropriate sentence. One year into his 16-year sentence, the only FBI agent ever charged with a homicide is coming to grips with life in prison. (Susan's mother was a McCoy; her father's family descended from the Hatfields.) Its disgusting to hear people defend this mans release. He murdered a woman in cold blood with his bare hands and he only had to serve 10 years. Good read, Irving! The true crime behind Emilia Clarke's 'Above Suspicion' - New York Post Theres no hiding from it. Fbi Agent Killed Informant Turned Lover, Woman Says 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith - Spreaker I didnt even know dude was a undercover cop. Police file/Family photo The story of slain FBI informant Susan. Mark Putnam was the first FBI agent to be convicted of murder. Although Mark Putnam claimed that he murdered Susan Smith because she threatened to tell his wife about their affair and her pregnancy, Smith's sister Shelby Ward remains convinced that this wasn't the only reason she was murdered. A local sheriff's deputy, Albert "Bert" Hartfield, recommended that his longtime friend Susan Smith visit Putnam to earn extra income and to help him with the case. I wonder if he would have done more time if he killed a man. ", According to the Los Angeles Times, medical examiners claimed that they were unable to find "any trace of a fetus" duringan autopsy on Smith, who was reportedly four months pregnant. Unfortunately shes correct. Well, if he were any other color they wouldnt have even charged him. Roadside Attractions/Courtesy . The couple was driving on a rural eastern Kentucky highway at the time and pulled off the road at Peter Creek Mountain. The two physically fought, and Putnam strangled Smith. Its interesting how the movie Above Suspicion left out the part where it turned out Susan wasnt really pregnant afterall. And in August 1982, Putnam got one step closer to his goal when he became a clerk at the FBI's Connecticut headquarters office. Putnam and Susan met during this visit to Kentucky. LoL. Two years prior, Putnams wife Kathy died of organ failure likely from heavy drinking at age 38. Whats your point ? What type of person marries a man who admits to a murder? The case, which caught the attention of local and national news outlets, was the first reported instance of an FBI agent committing homicide. It might have made Susan less sympathetic to some. In mid-1986, Mark learned that he'd been accepted into the FBI Academy, and on October 6, 1986, he graduated and was finally rewarded with the gold FBI badge he'd long dreamed of obtaining. Simpson is concerned, as sure as I am black and youre white, OJ is guilty.. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. In addition to solving another bank robbery, Mark was responsible for closing down a stolen car shop. In the 28 years that I have been a prosecutor, this is the first experience that I have had where a lawyer called me on a telephone and said I have a man who wants to confess to murder, or homicide, and wants to go to the penitentiary, and we had absolutely no evidence, Runyon added. When a good-looking, big city FBI agent named Mark Putnam entered her life, Susan thought her prayers had been answered.
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